Agility training ladder

ABSTRACT

A speed training mat is formed from a continuous sheet of material having a grid formed thereon. The training mat allows for use on various surfaces and inhibits misalignment of the training mat. The training mat may be formed with various different training patterns on the two sides of the mat, or on a single side of the mat. The use of a training mat allows for easier and safer use than conventional training devices such as individual dots, circles, etc. The training mat is also designed for easy storage and deployment for use.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 60/676,849, filed May 2, 2005, which is incorporatedherein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. The Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to sports and exercise equipment. Morespecifically, the present invention relates to a training mat for use insports training, exercise, fitness, P.E., physical therapy, and thelike.

2. State of the Art

Training ladders and other training devices are used in exercise andsports training in order to increase speed, strength, balance, gait,coordination, etc. Training ladders typically have a series of squares,each square being about 18 inches across and may be fixed or adjustablein length. Individuals are typically required to jump or otherwise movetheir feet between the training ladder squares. A coach or trainer maycontrol which square the individual moves to, and how fast theindividual is required to move.

Available training ladders are formed with flexible sides made from ropeor webbing, and have cross members made from the same material as thesides, or formed from a rigid material such as plastic. The sides may betied, screwed, sewn, woven onto, clamped or otherwise attached to thecross members.

While the existing training ladders are useful, they suffer from severaldisadvantages. The ladders are difficult to store, to prepare for use,and become displaced during use. The ladders are typically bundled forstorage, and become tangled and thus difficult to prepare for use.Additionally, the ladders are often displaced during use when anindividual's foot moves or becomes tangled in the ladder. There is thusa risk that an individual may trip on the ladder or fall after becomingtangled in the ladder. Additionally, existing ladders are often notsuitable for use indoors. The materials used for the sides and crossmembers do not stay in place well on a smooth surface, such as a smoothgymnasium floor.

Additional training devices include plastic sticks, dots, rings, etc.which are placed on the ground and used to increase speed, coordination,etc. A person is required to jump or otherwise move to or around theseobjects. It is appreciated that these objects may easily be kicked orbumped out of position, and may also trip the user if they land on theobject.

It is thus desirable to provide an improved training ladder whichovercomes the limitations of existing ladders. It is desirable to have atraining ladder which may be used indoors and outdoors, which is easy tostore and prepare for use, and which remains in place during use. It isdesirable to provide a training device which provides the trainingpatterns commonly used in a more convenient form, such as a roll outmat. It is further desirable to provide a training mat which hasdifferent training patterns on different sides or different ends of themat.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved trainingdevice which overcomes the limitations of existing training devices.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a training ladder isprovided which is easy to use. A ladder formed as a continuous sheet ofmaterial having side and cross markings formed or placed thereon. Theuse of a continuous sheet of material instead of a conventional ladderallows the training ladder to be easily rolled up for storage andquickly unrolled for use.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a training ladderis provided which may be used both inside and outside. The use of a highfriction material, such as rubber, in forming the ladder allows for useof the ladder on a smooth surface such as a hardwood floor, concrete,asphalt, etc. The ladder may thus be used inside, where conventionalladders are better suited for use on grass and may not be safe orconvenient for use inside. The training ladder may then be used duringwinter, unfavorable weather, etc.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a safer trainingladder is provided. With conventional training ladders, an individualmay easily get their foot caught in the sides or cross members. Atraining ladder having a continuous surface does not have locationswhere an individual's foot may get caught, possibly causing theindividual to fall. Additionally, the training ladder may be formed of amaterial which provides some cushioning and thereby relieves the strainplaced on the individual's joints and body while using the trainingladder.

According to another aspect of the invention, a training mat is providedwhich is formed with training patterns such as dots, rings, lines, etc.Such a training mat overcomes limitations associated with placing dots,rings, etc. on floor or lawn for training purposes. According to afurther aspect of the invention, different sides or ends of the trainingmat may be formed with different training patterns, increasing the typesof training which may be accomplished with the mat.

These and other aspects of the present invention are realized in a speedtraining ladder as shown and described in the following figures andrelated description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments of the present invention are shown and described inreference to the numbered drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a top view of a section of a training ladder known in theprior art;

FIG. 2 shows a top view of a section of a training mat according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 shows a side view of a section of the training mat of the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 shows another side view of the training mat of the presentinvention which has been rolled up;

FIG. 5 shows a top view of another training pattern formed on a trainingmat of the present invention;

FIG. 6 shows a top view of another training pattern formed on a trainingmat of the present invention;

FIG. 7 shows a top view of another training pattern formed on a trainingmat of the present invention;

FIG. 8 shows a top view of another training pattern formed on a trainingmat of the present invention;

FIG. 9 shows a top view of another training pattern formed on a trainingmat of the present invention;

FIG. 10 shows a top view of another training pattern formed on atraining mat of the present invention;

FIG. 11 shows a top view of another training pattern formed on atraining mat of the present invention;

FIG. 12 shows a top view of another training pattern formed on atraining mat of the present invention;

FIG. 13 shows a top view of another training pattern formed on atraining mat of the present invention;

FIG. 14 shows a top view of another training pattern formed on atraining mat of the present invention

FIG. 15 shows a top view of another training pattern formed on atraining mat of the present invention

FIG. 16 shows a top view of another training pattern formed on atraining mat of the present invention;

FIG. 17 shows a top view of another training pattern formed on atraining mat of the present invention;

FIG. 18 shows a top view of another training pattern formed on atraining mat of the present invention;

FIG. 19 shows a top view of another training pattern formed on atraining mat of the present invention;

FIG. 20 shows a top view of another training pattern formed on atraining mat of the present invention; and

FIG. 21 shows a top view of another training pattern formed on atraining mat of the present invention.

It will be appreciated that the drawings are illustrative and notlimiting of the scope of the invention which is defined by the appendedclaims. The various embodiments shown accomplish various aspects andobjects of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The drawings will now be discussed in reference to the numerals providedtherein so as to enable one skilled in the art to practice the presentinvention. The drawings and descriptions are exemplary of variousaspects of the invention and are not intended to narrow the scope of theappended claims.

Turning to FIG. 1, a top view of a section of a training ladder known inthe prior art is shown. The ladder, generally indicated at 10, is formedwith flexible sides 14 and rigid plastic cross members 18. The sides 14are commonly formed from nylon webbing. The sides 14 are attached to thecross members 18 with screws 22. Many other prior art configurations areknown wherein rigid or flexible cross members are attached to flexiblesides, such as by stapling, tying, or otherwise attaching the crossmembers. Eyelets 26 may be placed in the sides 14 to allow the trainingladder 10 to be staked to the ground. The training ladders 10 arecommonly about 15 feet long and have rungs about every 18 inchesproviding about 10 holes or openings in a 15 foot length. As has beenbriefly mentioned above, other training ladders 10 known in the priorart use flat strips of plastic for the cross members 18 which arestapled or clamped to the sides 14, or which have holes formed thereinwhich allow the sides 14 to pass through the ends of the cross member18. Another prior art training ladder uses hollow plastic pipes for thecross members 18 and has strips of nylon webbing which pass through thepipe and are attached to the sides 14 to secure the cross members 18.

Training ladders 10 known in the prior art are somewhat difficult tostore and prepare for use. The training ladder 10 is typically stored bygathering all of the cross members 18 together in a bundle. When thetraining ladder 10 is later prepared for use, it is common for the crossmembers 18 and sides 14 to be tangled together, requiring the individualto untangle the training ladder 10 before use.

Training ladders 10 known in the prior art are also problematic duringuse. It is not uncommon for an individual to catch their foot on thesides 14 or cross member 18 while using the ladder 10. In doing so, theindividual may simply pull the ladder out of position, or may trip andfall. If the training ladder 10 is pulled from its position, thetraining exercise must be stopped while the training ladder 10 is reset.

The training ladders 10 known in the prior art are also unsuitable foruse on smooth surfaces such as hardwood floors. The sides 14 and crossmembers 18 do not provide sufficient friction to keep the ladder inplace, and an individual who steps on the ladder during training mayslip and sustain injury.

Similarly, other conventional training elements such as dots, rings,crosses, zigzags, and the like are typically plastic pieces which areplaced as desired on a surface such as a gym floor or grass. The personjumps or moves around or into the shapes. As with the conventionaltraining ladders, the person may easily kick or move the trainingelement from the desired position, requiring the person to stop trainingto fix the training pattern. Additionally, if the person steps on one ofthe training elements, the person may slip as little friction may bepresent between the training element and a gym floor, for example.

Turning now to FIG. 2, a top view of a training mat according to thepresent invention is shown. The training mat 34 is formed from acontinuous sheet of material 38. The material 38 may be a variety ofmaterials, such as vinyl, latex, rubber, foamed rubber, carpet, etc.Preferably, the material 38 is flexible and does not slip on a smoothsurface. According to a currently preferred embodiment, a rubber orrubber like material such as neoprene, etc. is used to make the trainingmat 34. Importantly, the material used to make the training mat shouldbe a material which is both durable to withstand repeated use, and whichprovides sufficient friction to enable safe use of the training mat. Themat should have sufficient friction to stay in place on the floor orground, and to allow an athlete to step or move quickly withoutslipping.

The training mat may be formed with a variety of different trainingpatterns formed on the top and bottom of the training mat. This andsubsequent figures show the various training patterns which may beformed on the surfaces of the mat. As shown here, a grid 42 is formed onor in the material 38 so as to represent the sides 46 and cross members50 of a conventional training ladder. The grid 42 defines a series ofsquare or rectangular areas 54. An individual using the training mat 34would step in the areas 54 typically as directed by a trainer or coach.

The grid 42 may be formed in a variety of ways, such as being formedintegrally with the material 38, painted on, or adhesively attached tothe material 38. If a grid 42 is glued or otherwise attached to thematerial 38, the grid may be made of sufficient thickness that a personcould feel if they stepped on the grid. This may allow a person torealize whether they stepped properly, or did not move far enough. It isappreciated that the training pattern may need to be raised above thesurface of the training mat 34 by a distance of 1/16 of an inch or moreto be perceptible to a user. The training pattern may thus be raisedabove the surface of the training mat 34 by about 1/16 of an inch, ⅛ ofan inch, ¼ of an inch, or more. The training pattern should not beraised so much as to create a tripping hazard.

Forming the grid 42 integrally with the material 38 may produce goodresults, but is typically more expensive than other methods. Paintingthe grid 42 onto the material 38 also provides good results, but thepaint may flake off of the material 38 as the training ladder 34 isstepped on or bent during use possibly requiring a specialized paint tobe used. Methods such as silk screening may also be suitable for forminga grid 42 on the material 38. The grid may also be applied with tape,such as a colored duct tape. The tape is sufficiently durable to providea long period of use, is inexpensive, and is easy to apply and toreapply if necessary. The currently preferred methods of applying thegrid 42 to the material 38 are by using adhesive tape, such as yellowduct tape, to form the grid 42, and by painting the grid. It isappreciated that all of the training patterns of the subsequent figuresmay be formed in any of the above methods, and the other methodsdescribed herein. For brevity, each method is not discussed relative toeach training pattern.

Using a continuous material 38 to form the training mat 34 prevents anindividual from catching their foot on the ladder during use. Thetraining mat 34 does not have any openings through the middle thereofwhere an individual could catch their foot. The material 38 may also beselected so that it does not slip on a hardwood floor or other smoothsurface. This allows the training mat 34 to be used inside, allowingindividuals to train indoors during the winter, storms, or when anoutdoor location is simply not available.

Various combinations of materials may also be suitable, such as adurable material forming the top surface with a backing layer to providesufficient friction between the mat and the floor. As such, vinyl orcarpet may be used, alone or in combination with a backing layer. It isappreciated that the training mat should preferably be usable on amaximum number of different surfaces, providing sufficient friction anddurability on each surface. As such, rubber, cushioned rubber, or otherrubber like materials may be optimum.

Turning now to FIG. 3, a side view of a training mat according to thepresent invention is shown. The base material 38 and grid 42, 42 b ofthe training mat 34 are visible. FIG. 3 illustrates how trainingpatterns may be formed on both sides of the training mat 34. One sidemay include a training ladder, while the other side may include a dotdrill pattern. Any combination of different training patterns may beused on the two sides of the mat. It will be appreciated that thethickness of the material 38 may be varied to provide a training matwhich is lighter, more durable, softer, etc. and will vary according tothe material used. A thinner mat may be easier to carry, while a thickermat may be designed to provide some cushion to the user and may be moredurable than a thinner mat. It is appreciated that the sizes of thetraining mat will depend largely on the desired use. A training mat withmultiple training patterns on a side or with a repeated training patternwill be longer than a single training pattern. A training mat for adultsmay be larger that a mat for children.

Turning now to FIG. 4, another side view of a training mat according tothe present invention is shown. The training mat 34 is shown rolled upfor storage. Using a relatively thin and continuous sheet of material 38as shown in FIG. 2 allows the training mat to easily be rolled. Thetraining mat 34 can not become tangled when stored as a conventionalladder can. Rolling the mat is desirable as it allows for convenientstorage. When an individual is ready to use the training mat 34, theymay simply place the training mat 34 on the ground and unroll it. It isappreciated that it is desirable to form the training mat 34 of amaterial which will easily lay relatively flat on the ground afterunrolling.

Turning now to FIG. 5, a top view of another training pattern formed ona training mat of the present invention is shown. The training mat 34 isformed from a wider material 38 than the mat of FIG. 2, and is formedwith a grid 42 which creates two or more parallel rows of square areas54. It will be appreciated that the grid 42 of this and of FIG. 2 may beformed with or without sidewalls (stripes running down the lateral edgesof the training mat 34). The grid 42 may be formed simply with the crossbars and central lines as may be desired. The training mat 34 thusallows an individual to move from side to side and forwards orbackwards. It will thus be appreciated that various different sizes oftraining mats 34 may be made. Additionally, training mats may be made indifferent lengths. One advantage of using a continuous sheet of material38 to form training mats 34 is that an individual may easily place twotraining mats 34 side by side or end to end to form a training mat whichis longer or wider than normal. The resulting larger training mat doesnot have any appreciable gap between the two smaller training mats. Atraining mat according to the present invention provides an individualwith flexibility as to how the training mat is used.

Turning now to FIG. 6, a top view of another training pattern formed ona training mat of the present invention is shown. According to anotheraspect of the present invention, using a continuous sheet of material 38to form the training mat 34 allows the back side of the training mat tobe used for a different training exercise than the front side of thetraining mat. Thus, the front side of the mat 34 may have a trainingladder as previously discussed formed thereon, and the back side of themat may be formed with training dots. A training design formed on theback side of the training mat 34 may be formed in the same manner as thegrid 42 (FIG. 2) on the front side of the material 38, such as bypainting, applying tape, etc.

Many different possible designs may be formed on the back side of thetraining mat 34. The training mat 34 shown has a plurality of dots 62formed on the back side thereof. The dots 62 may be used for dot drillswhere an individual is directed by a trainer to jump or quickly movebetween different dots 62 to thereby increase the individual's speed andagility. Alternatively, a training ladder may be formed on the back sideof the material 38 by forming a grid similar to grid 42 (FIG. 2). Theladder formed on the back side of the material 38 may have areas similarto areas 54 of FIG. 2 but which are somewhat smaller or larger thanareas 54, requiring an individual to make larger or smaller movementsduring training. The front or back side of the material 38 may containother designs for training, such as zigzag lines, geometric shapes, etc.as may be desired for speed and agility training.

It is thus appreciated that the front and back sides of the training mat34 may include any combination of speed and agility training patterns,such as dots, zigzags, X patterns, boxes, circles, diamonds, etc.Additionally, a single side may have a combination of two or moretraining patterns. A single side may include a section of dots, asection of circles, and a section of squares. The subsequent figuresshow many of these additional patterns and combinations of patterns. Thetraining mat may thus include single pattern units or multiple trainingpattern units repeated.

Turning now to FIG. 7, a top view of another training pattern formed ona training mat of the present invention is shown. The training mat 34has a zigzag line 66 formed on the back side of the sheet of material38. The zigzag line 66 may be used for training drills, such as where anindividual is required to move between different areas adjacent to or onthe line 66. It will thus be appreciated that many different trainingpatterns may be formed on the back side of the training mat 34. This isadvantageous as it provides an individual with additional trainingexercises without requiring an additional piece of equipment.

Turning now to FIG. 8, a top view of another training pattern formed ona training mat of the present invention is shown. The training mat 34 isformed with a zigzag pattern of dots 70, allowing a person to move on orbetween the dots. Similarly, FIG. 9 shows a front view of anothertraining pattern. The training mat 34 includes X or cross shapedmarkings 74.

Turning to FIG. 10, a top view of another training pattern formed on atraining mat of the present invention is shown. The training mat 34includes a number of squares 78, allowing a person to jump in or to thesides of the squares.

Turning to FIG. 11, a top view of another training pattern formed on atraining mat of the present invention is shown. The training mat 34includes a number of circles 82. The circles are shown as hollow, butmay equally be solid.

Turning now to FIG. 12, a top view of another training pattern formed ona training mat of the present invention is shown. The training mat 34includes a plurality of diamonds 86 which may be used as has beendiscussed.

Turning now to FIG. 13, a top view of another training pattern formed ona training mat of the present invention is shown. The training mat 34 isshown with a combination of patterns as has been discussed. The mat 34is shown with an X or cross 90 as well as with a number of dots 94. Atraining mat 34 thus formed may include two, three, or any number ofdifferent training patterns on a single side of the mat. This allows aperson to perform speed and agility training with a number of differenttraining patterns without requiring a number of different training mats,or without requiring turning over a single training mat. It may alsoallow a person to move sequentially down a training mat, moving frompattern to pattern.

Turning now to FIG. 14, a top view of another training pattern formed ona training mat of the present invention is shown. The training mat 34shows a grid having a single row of squares which is delineated only bya number of cross lines 98. It is appreciated that in forming a grid orseries of squares it is not necessary to place lines down the sides ofthe training mat 34.

Turning now to FIG. 15, a top view of another training pattern formed ona training mat of the present invention is shown. The training mat 34has a grid or series of squares or rectangles formed by cross lines 102which do not extend completely to the edges of the mat. It is notnecessary that the lines 102 extend completely across the mat.Additionally, it is appreciated that in forming grids or series ofrectangular areas as shown in FIGS. 2, 5, 14, 15 the rectangular areasneed not all be the same. Thus, some areas 106 may be formed larger thanother areas 110. This may allow for additional variation in training.

Turning now to FIG. 16, a top view of another training pattern formed ona training mat of the present invention is shown. The training mat 34 isformed with a training grid 114. The mat 34 may or may not have a border118. It is appreciated that a border may not typically be necessary asthe edge of the mat 34 defines the edges of the grid 114.

Turning now to FIG. 17, a top view of another training pattern formed ona training mat of the present invention is shown. A training mat 34 witha cross 122, similar to a grid without a border. The cross 122 mayextend close to the edges, may touch the edges, or may leave a largerspace between the cross 122 and the edges of the mat 34.

Turning now to FIG. 18, a top view of another training pattern formed ona training mat of the present invention is shown. A training mat 34 isshown with a single square 126. It is appreciated that the squares ofthis and the other training mats 34 having rectangular patterns may besquare or rectangular in shape.

Turning now to FIG. 19, a top view of another training pattern formed ona training mat of the present invention is shown. The mat 34 has adiamond 130 formed thereon as a training pattern. It is appreciated thatthe training diamonds shown may also be rectangular in shape, may havesomewhat curved sides, etc. as is desired for the training.

Turning now to FIG. 20, a top view of another training pattern formed ona training mat of the present invention is shown. A mat 34 is shown witha single circle 134. The circle 134, as well as the circles shown onother mats could also be ovals, etc.

Turning now to FIG. 21, a top view of another training pattern formed ona training mat of the present invention is shown. The training mat 34includes a plurality of dots 138 in a desired pattern. It is appreciatedthat the number and location of the training dots shown in this figureand in the other figures illustrating dot patterns may be varied. Thedots may be in groups of three, four, six, etc. Additionally, the dotscould equally be replaced with small ovals, squares, triangles, etc., asit is of primary importance to simply mark out a location where a usermust step or locations between which a user must step.

It is appreciated from FIGS. 16-21 that many training patterns may beformed as single pattern units. Thus, the training mat of the presentinvention may have training patterns formed on one or both sides of themat, and the training patterns may be single pattern units or repeatedunits, and may be combinations of various training patterns.

FIGS. 2 and 5-21 show the various training patterns which may be formedon the sides of a training mat according to the present invention. Thesefigures also illustrate how a training mat may include a combination oftraining patterns down the length of the training mat, or be formed withmultiple training patterns placed side by side to form a wider trainingmat. It is thus appreciated that many combinations exist which may beformed by incorporating the training patters shown into a training mat.It is understood that the training mat and various training patterns ofFIGS. 2 and 5-13 and side views of the training mat shown in FIGS. 3 and4 all illustrate the same training mat according to the presentinvention.

There is thus disclosed an improved speed training mat. It will beappreciated that numerous changes may be made to the present inventionwithout departing from the scope of the claims.

1. A training mat comprising: a continuous sheet of material having afirst side and a second side opposite the first side; at least one lineformed on a first side of the sheet of material, the at least one linedefining a series of rectangular areas such that one edge of all of theareas define a first straight line and a second edge of all of the areasdefine another straight line parallel to the first straight line.
 2. Thetraining mat of claim 1, further comprising at least one trainingpattern selected from the group consisting of dots, zigzag, X shapedmarkings, circles, squares, diamonds, and combinations thereof formed ona second side of the continuous sheet of material.
 3. The training matof claim 1, wherein the at least one line comprises a grid.
 4. Thetraining mat of claim 3, wherein the grid defines two rows of generallysquare areas.
 5. The training mat of claim 3, wherein the grid defines asingle row or generally square areas.
 6. The training mat of claim 1,further comprising one or more squares formed on the second side of thecontinuous sheet of material.
 7. The training mat of claim 1, whereinthe at least one line comprises a plurality of lines.
 8. The trainingmat of claim 1, wherein the first side and second side of the continuoussheet of material comprise non-slip surfaces.
 9. A training matcomprising: a continuous sheet of material defining a first side and asecond side; a first agility training pattern formed on the first sideof the continuous sheet of material; and a second agility trainingpattern formed on the second side of the continuous sheet of material.10. The training mat of claim 9, wherein the first agility trainingpattern is selected from the group consisting of a grid, dots, zigzaglines, X shapes, squares, circles, diamonds, and combinations thereof.11. The training mat of claim 9, wherein the first agility trainingpattern comprises a first area having a first pattern being selectedfrom the group consisting of a grid, dots, zigzag lines, X shapes,squares, circles, and diamonds, and a second area having a secondpattern different from the first pattern, the second pattern beingselected from the group consisting of a grid, dots, zigzag lines, Xshapes, squares, circles, and diamonds.
 12. The training mat of claim10, wherein the second agility training pattern is selected from thegroup consisting of a grid, dots, zigzag lines, X shapes, squares,circles, diamonds, and combinations thereof.
 13. The training mat ofclaim 10, wherein the second agility training pattern comprises a firstarea having a first pattern being selected from the group consisting ofa grid, dots, zigzag lines, X shapes, squares, circles, and diamonds,and a second area having a second pattern different from the firstpattern, the second pattern being selected from the group consisting ofa grid, dots, zigzag lines, X shapes, squares, circles, and diamonds.14. The training mat of claim 9, wherein the continuous sheet isconfigured for storage by rolling the continuous sheet into a roll. 15.The training mat of claim 9, wherein the agility training patterns areformed on the continuous sheet with paint.
 16. The training mat of claim9, wherein the agility training patterns are formed on the continuoussheet with tape.
 17. The training mat of claim 9, wherein the agilitytraining patterns are formed integrally with the continuous sheet. 18.The training mat of claim 9, wherein the agility training patterns areraised above the surface of the generally continuous sheet.
 19. Thetraining mat of claim 18, wherein the agility training patters areraised above the surface of the generally continuous sheet by at least1/16 of an inch.
 20. The training mat of claim 9, wherein the continuoussheet is generally an elongate rectangle.
 21. A training mat comprising:a continuous sheet of material defining a first side and a second side;a first agility training pattern formed on the first side of thecontinuous sheet of material.
 22. The training mat of claim 21, whereinthe first agility training pattern comprises a single pattern.
 23. Thetraining mat of claim 21, wherein the first agility training patterncomprises a repeated pattern.
 24. The training mat of claim 21, whereinthe first side of the continuous sheet comprises a first trainingpattern and a second training pattern different from the first trainingpattern.
 25. The training mat of claim 24, wherein the second side ofthe continuous sheet comprises a third training pattern.
 26. Thetraining mat of claim 25, wherein the third training pattern isdifferent than the first and second training patterns.
 27. The trainingmat of claim 25, wherein the second side further comprises a fourthtraining pattern different than the third training pattern.
 28. Thetraining mat of claim 27, wherein the first, second, third, and fourthtraining patterns are all different.
 29. The training mat of claim 21,wherein the generally continuous sheet is flexible.
 30. The training matof claim 21, wherein the generally continuous sheet has non-slipsurfaces.
 31. The training mat of claim of claim 21, wherein thetraining patterns are raised above the surface of the generallycontinuous sheet.
 32. The training mat of claim 21, wherein thecontinuous sheet is configured for rolling into a roll.
 33. A method forincreasing agility comprising: selecting a training mat, the trainingmat comprising a continuous sheet of material having a grid formed on atleast one side thereof, the grid defining a series of generally squareareas, the areas being disposed in a linear alignment such that an edgeof each of the areas is disposed along a straight line; placing thetraining mat on a surface; and causing an individual to move between theareas so as to increase agility.